Softball D3 Quarterfinal at Novi HS, Grass Lake vs Ottawa Lake Whiteford. Photos by Hannah Tacy, JTV Sports
Trey Richmond | JTV Sports
Tuesday June 9th, 2026
(6-9-2026, 8:30PM): Grass Lake stamped their ticket to the state semifinals in East Lansing once again with a seventh inning comeback victory against Ottawa Lake Whiteford on Tuesday at Novi HS.
The defense of both teams controlled the first two innings including a Kennedy Collins pump fake toward first after fielding a bunt that drew the runner off third base enough to be thrown out, saving a run. That trick play was similar to the pump fake in the state final from last year.
The third inning began with Chloe Hollifield’s line drive single past first base and she reached second on an errant throw. Her courtesy runner, Ava Hamp, stole 3rd and home on two wild pitches to give the Warriors a 1-0 advantage. In the bottom of the third, Addeson Cousino sent a grounder by first base for a single and stole both second and third to be in scoring position. Bailey Spradling was able to send Cousino home on a sacrifice flyout for the Bobcats to match the Warriors at one run.
Whiteford took control of the fifth inning starting with the pitcher, Peyton Welch. She saw three batters atop the 5th and struck all three out. The Bobcats continued their offensive push in the fifth inning with Avy Wood’s grounder over second base and then got to second on an error. Wood advanced to third off a Cousino bunt single and scored off of Spradling’s bunt single to take Whiteford’s first lead. Welch continued the hot batting in the inning for the Bobcats with a single of her own that sent home Ava Swy, Cousino’s courtesy runner, to extend the lead; 3-1.
Grass Lake entered the seventh inning down two runs with their season on the line. Plate discipline allowed them to get Hollifield, Kayleigh Hilberer, and Addalynn Hensen all on base via walks which prompted a pitching change for the Bobcats. With the bases loaded, Taylor Dick was hit by a pitch sending courtesy runner Hamp home again. During the next at-bat, Hilberer scored as she stole home off a wild pitch. The Bobcats went back to Welch on the mound after the game got knotted up at three runs. McKenzie Hilberer was walked as well, loading the bases again. Another wild pitch gave Hensen an opportunity to steal home which gave Grass Lake the 4-3 lead. The Bobcats went three up and three out in the bottom of the seventh; sealing the Warriors trip to the semifinals for back to back years.
Peyton Welch struck out 12 batters including two innings of striking out all three batters she faced. Morgan Conrad had six strikeouts from the mound including the game sealing out on the opposing pitcher, Welch.
Grass Lake had only two hits but earned four runs via their plate discipline and base running, including 3 in the deciding 7th inning for the 4-3 victory. GL is now 35-5 and will play at 10AM at Michigan State University (Secchia Stadium) on Friday in the Division 3 state semifinal, facing 42-0 Evart.
Makenzie Hilberer (20). Photos by Hannah Tacy, JTV Sports
